LIBYA - Nigerians evacuated from Libya yesterday staged a protest at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) hajj camp section of the airport over luggage that has not arrived two weeks after they were taken out of war-torn Libya. The protesters in their hundreds, who ran amok at the hajj camp, abused and insulted government officials claiming that they have been abandoned, asked for the luggage left in Libya. One of them who spoke to our reporter said that it was wrong for the Federal government to bring them back after they have lost everything without the little possession they have left. However speaking to the angry protesters at the Hajj Camp where they have camped since they were evacuated from Libya by the United Nations (UN), Assistant Commissioner of Police Airport Command Operations Mr. Omololu Bishi in a bid to placate them told the returnees that the government would ensure that their luggage arrives today.

"We will beg them that by tomorrow, they should bring your luggage, it is not a normal movement, if not, your luggage would have come with you" he said.

He however thanked them for exercising patience adding that the UN was more concerned about saving their lives first before their luggage.

"Libya is now a war zone, it is UN that has brought you from the war zone, in fact, UN says life first, they cannot carry luggage and people and for your information Libya is now a no flight zone"

"You people should be happy that you are alive and you should be giving thanks to God as well as FAAN security for providing accommodation for you people" he added.

One of the returnees Mr. Ehis Arebu who was contacted said,"I regret coming back to Nigeria, I have lost everything and this shirt and trouser that I am putting on is all that I have" he claimed.

According to him "I have being in this Hajj Camp for the past two weeks, the NEMA officials are still saying the same thing, they have not brought our luggage except for the few ones that came in yesterday with some people"

"I have three luggages and I have not even seen one of them, in fact Nigeria claims to be the giant of Africa, we are the giant of Africa from the back" he added.

Anthony Omoh

Daily Champion/30/03/2011